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Professional NASCAR drivers hone their skills by gaining hands-on experience in go-karts and other racing series before transitioning to NASCAR's national series. Running laps and demonstrating their immense talent and speed in these vehicles, drivers are sure to remember their first personal road cars involved in high-octane racing.
Fittingly, in an interview with Chat Us Up on Instagram, several NASCAR drivers recently revealed their initial road vehicles. Many were outside the primary manufacturers of NASCAR like Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota which most drivers are accustomed to driving on oval tracks.
Here's a list of the five drivers in who had a brief interaction with Chat Us Up at Talladega Superspeedway:
NASCAR icons reveal their first cars
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1. Joey Logano
Two-time Cup Series champion Logano competes full-time for Team Penske, piloting the #22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. He shared that his first-ever road car was a Honda Civic. He also added that he learned to drive the manual transmission with his Civic.
#22 Logano is entering the 2024 NASCAR playoff round with a win, four top-fives and seven top-10s.
2. Bubba Wallace
The No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE driver Bubba Wallace revealed the Toyota 4runner to be his first-ever road car. He also admitted to having an obligation to Toyota because he participated in their driver's development program.
With five races remaining in the regular season, the 23XI Racing driver is 27 points below the 2024 playoff cutline and has three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
3. Kyle Larson
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson drives the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. In the conversation, the #5 driver recalled his old, faded maroon Nissan Pathfinder.
The Hendrick's star is gearing up for the playoff round in P2 on the drivers' points standings. He has amassed three wins, eight top-fives and 10 top-10s in 20 races.
4. Chase Briscoe
The #14 Ford Mustang driver who competes for Stewart-Haas Racing is set to join the Toyota roster for Joe Gibbs Racing next season. Briscoe fondly recalled his Pontiac G6 and gave a detailed description of its features in the interview.
He claimed that his G6's right door was caved in and would honk every time he would get inside. He also added that it had no air conditioner and the water from the windshield wiper would squirt in front of the car, mostly on people waiting at a traffic light.
In the 2024 playoff picture, Briscoe is 75 points below the cutline and has only five races left to redeem himself. He has two top-five and six top-10 finishes.
5. Michael McDowell
2021 Daytona 500 winner McDowell is gearing up to join Spire Motorsports next season. He currently drives the #34 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports.
In the interview, McDowell revealed that he had the 35th anniversary Ford Mustang. However, that car lasted only a week as he burned the rear tires off. It was taken from him, he said jokingly.
The #34 driver needs 152 points or a win in the remaining regular season races to qualify for the playoff rounds. He has two top-fives and six top-10s from 21 starts this season.
Here's the video posted by @chat.us.up on Instagram with more NASCAR drivers revealing their first road cars:
